Nathalie Emmanuel Collaborates With Famed Photographer Rankin
Shooting for Dune’s latest campaign #aloveaffairwith
Game of thrones actress Nathalie Emmanuel stars alongside model Isaac Carew in the latest advert for Dune. A nod to Valentine’s Day, the pair appear in love story both “on-screen” and “reality” off-screen with iconic London landmarks set behind them. Shot by famed British photographer Rankin who is currently working closing with Emmanuel on various projects alongside his agency The Full Service. A creative agency founded by Rankin himself, the London studio creates entire campaigns under one roof, from creative development and brand strategy to the in-house studio, production and post-production facilities. Their new global campaign for shoe brand Dune, is set to be released on February 14, see the teaser below. In the wake of the release, Bazaar spoke to Emmanuel about her career so far and her visit to the Middle East
Do you find modelling very different to acting?
Modelling is so different to acting. You’re suddenly aware of things like your arms and where you put them, it’s crazy. Also because you’re playing a character when you’re acting and then when you’re doing modelling or a photo-shoot it’s just you that’s a relatively unfamiliar experience. Every time I come and do a shoot it’s almost about having to remember what to do in a way, but it’s really fun and a challenge for me. I usually find because I’m being directed by the photographer, I respond quite well to that because I’m used to being directed on set, so I can find the similarities and also just trying to act as natural as I can. Once I’ve figured out where to put my arms!
Have you ever visited the Middle East?
I shot in Abu Dhabi for a couple of weeks for the Fast & Furious 7. I didn’t know too much about it, I just knew what friends who had gone out there had told me it was fun and a very glamourous place. What I came to discovered was how beautiful it was there and that the people are so friendly and hospitable. I went to the Grand Mosque and it might be the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. It was almost emotional. The young girl who was showing me around explained the story behind it and how it took Sheikh Zayed years to build and then he passed away before it was finished. She also told me how he’s buried there and they have people singing from the Koran 24-7 because he united the Emirates and the powerful families, so people really care about him. It’s such a testament to him trying to unite different Arab countries. The art from different regions and countries that are predominately Muslim from Turkish tiling to amazing Persian carpets. It’s so stunning and such a culmination of culture. It was amazing, I was blown away.
As an actress, who is your biggest role model and why?
Judi Dench is up there. The lovely Helen Mirren, who I met recently when she worked on The Fate of the Furious. I had a lovely conservation with her and she was really sweet to me, giving me some great advice. She’s also from the same town as me as well so it was great. Also for me, people such as Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis. These women have been paving the way for black women in the industry. And they’re really fantastically good actresses. I look at them and their work with awe.
What is the most incredible experience you’ve had working on Game of Thrones?
So many! When I first joined, it was mind-blowing. I went to Morocco, which I’d never been to before for five weeks. I had a moment where we were shooting after Daenerys had taken Astapor and we were leaving the city, I looked around and there were hundreds of people the set was huge. I just had this moment where I was like, “this is crazy, this is insane”. We were also shooting at the set of Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven and that was amazing. We were in the middle of the desert in Ouarzazate and it was so incredible for me because I’d never seen a set or production that big. It is a beautifully made show and I just remember thinking, “wow, all these people are here for this and I’m part of it”.
The Dune #aloveaffairwith teaser:
Dune SS17 Teaser from RankinFilm on Vimeo.